It is the lunch hour and you are desperately trying to slot in a quick afternoon workout before you put on your office attire once again and tackle your to-do list. But in that hour, time is short and you might struggle with maintaining your cool after your exercise is done. For one, your body is still trying to cool down even after you towel off and it is not uncommon to see beads of sweat forming around your forehead and arms again. Here is what to do if you are in a rush to keep your cool after your workout.
Why Does Sweat Happen?
Some people might look at how much they sweat as a way to determine how effective their workout is. But how do those beads of sweat come to form? Sweat is what our body produces to cool itself down and to return the body’s temperature to its usual range and this happens when sweat evaporates off our body. Most would think it is the act of sweating that helps with cooling us down, but it is when the high energy molecules get pulled from our skin via evaporation, the skin will drop in temperature. So if you are looking to stop your body sweating, you have to first lower your body temperature and quicken the evaporation process.
Staying Hydrated
It is simple really. The more water you consume during your exercise, the better it would be in controlling your body temperature and thus, help you with cooling down faster even after your workout has ended. That is why it is always a good idea to carry along a water bottle with you all the time. Every quarter of an hour or between sets of an exercise, a gulp of water to quench your thirst would help with that. The temperature of the water plays a part as well. Did you know that gulping down a glass of warm water might actually be counterproductive in helping you turn down the heat? As the inside of our mouth has TRPV1 receptors that react to heat that is why you feel warm when you drink warm water. Whenever we consume something warm, the heat receptors notify our brain of the warmness and this causes us to sweat to cool off quicker. For those who prefer gulping down warm water at the gym, perhaps ice-cold water from the fridge would do you well.
Shower Thoughts
It might seem smart to jump right into the shower for a quick cool off after your intense workout but we will be straight with you, that might not do you any good if you are trying to stop the sweating. After your workout, the body needs a little bit of time to recover and cool down and it is recommended to take somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes for your body to completely adjust to the change of activity. If you can’t find the time to cool off, it is suggested to shorten the time you spend on the treadmill to give yourself more time post-workout. While that extra five minutes on the treadmill might seem necessary in your head, think about how uncomfortable it would be heading back to your cubicle with sweat stains and beads of sweat trickling down your temple. Another great tip you could consider would be to use the time cooling down in the locker room to sort yourself out, for some, that could be sorting through your work emails or sorting your tummy with a quick bite. A definite no-no is to skip the shower entirely since all that dirt, oil and sweat will remain on your skin and clog your pores, causing you to get acne outbreaks.
The Right Clothes
Other than looking your absolute best while working out, the clothes you wear also makes a big difference to how much you sweat. When you pick out active wear outfits for the gym, you should be looking out for synthetic fabrics that are effective in wicking away sweat from your skin to keep you feeling comfortable and cool while you pump iron. The fit of your workout clothes is as important — those skin tight shirts might turn a few heads in the gym but they could get in the way of your exercise and cause you to sweat unnecessarily. If you are serious about sweating less, invest in the right workout wear.
No Sweat
In any case, sweat is going to be something that would cause you plenty of headaches. No one likes a colleague who comes to the office reeking of sweat and you are no special exception. There will undoubtedly be a few things that you can do like scheduling a workout before or after work or taking your afternoon workout easy, but if you are firm on that lung-busting workout during lunch hour, it is going to take a little bit more than just trial and error.